Shingle cutter having a frame for attachment to a roof and provided with a double-edged knife for cutting shingles at the ends of courses



Oct. 26, 1954 SHINGLE CUTTER HAVING A FRAME FOR ATTACHMENT TO J H BAILEY 2,692,647

A ROOF AND PROVIDED WITH A DOUBLE'EDGED KNIFE FOR CUTTING SHINGLES AT THE ENDS OF COURSES Filed Dec. 14, 1951 I I. I

6 ll //I ll, lg g q 3 35 INVENTOR.

JAMES H. BAILEY 6 y 2 Afzfys.

Patented Get. 26, 1954 SHINGLE CUTTER HAVING A FRAME FOR ATTACHMENT'TO A WITH A DOUBLE-ED TING SHINGLES COURSES ROOFAND PROVIDED GED KNIFE FOR OUT- AT THE ENDS OF James H. Bailey, Miamiville, .Ohio Application December 14,1951, Serial No; 261,659

3 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for trimming shingles and the like.

When shingles are laid on a roof it is difficult to maintain the ends of the courses at the edges of a roof and in valleys in a straight line.

or composition type are being laid.

An object of this invention is to provide a shingle cutter that may be secured to the roof at the ends of the courses of shingles which serves not only to cut the shingles but also as a straight edge wherebythe shingles of the courses may be cut on a straight line. By means of this device the overhang at the ends of a roof may be maintained uniform and neat in appearance, and in the case of shingles in a valley, the edges lying in the valley may be maintained in a straight, neat-appearing line.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shingle cutter that comprises a relatively long i vide a cutter that may be utilized with equal facility as a rightor left-hand cutter.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a cutter arranged and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end View of the roof of a house or building showing the shingle cutter mounted in p ace to trim shingles at the ends of the courses which overhang the trim at the end of the roof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in section taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view in section taken on line IVIV of Fig. 1, showing a stop which limits the throw ofthe knife blade.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings is illustrated a shingle cutter that comprises a frame I having a slot 2 therein extending from one end to the other of the frame'and a knife 3 mounted on a pivot 4 which is slidably disposed in slot 2.

The knife 3 is shown as having double cutting edges, that is, it is provided with a cutting edge This is particularly true when shingles of the asphaltic '2 5 and a cutting edge 6 atthe opposite edge of the body. Frame Iincludes a stationary cutter bar I whose edge 8' co-acts with one or the other ofthe cutting edges -5 and I; to provide the shearing action necessary to cut or trim shingles or other material.

The details of construction of the cutter are illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. As shown in these views, the frame I comprises a pair of channel members I0 and II mounted in spaced relation to provide the slot 2 between them, these members being rigidly secured together at their-ends by means of struts I2.

As shown in Fig. 1, the adjacent flanges Hand I5 of channel members It and II are notched to receive theistruts I2 so that the strutswhen in position, lie flush against the webs of the channel members with their ends abutting the bottom flange of channel In and the top flange of channel II.

The struts 12 may be secured to the channel members I 0 and II in anysuitable manner. As shown, these struts are secured to the channel members by meansof bolts I6. However, it is to be understood that they may besecured to the channel members by welding or other suitable means. In order thattheaframe may be secured to a roof in a position, for example, as shown in Fig. 2, the frame is provided with an angle member I8 having inwardly projecting wings I9 and 20 at the ends thereof. The wings I9 and 20 may be integral with the angle member I8 as shown; or, if desired, the wings may be formed separately and secured to the angle I8 or to some other convenient part of the frame. The lower edge of the vertical leg 22 of angle I8 is secured to the uppermost flange 23 of channel member I I in any suitable manner, as, for example, by welding, as indicated at 24. The weld may extend throughout the length of the bottom of angle leg 22, if desired.

The joint between the vertical leg 22 of angle I8 and the inner edge of flange 23 forms a rightangled shoulder of sufiicient depth and height to accommodate the stationary cutter bar l. The cutter 'bar 1 may be secured to leg 22 of angle IS in any suitable manner as by means of bolts or rivets or it may be welded thereto.

In constructing the frame, care is taken to insure that the front faces of the webs of channel members In and II are flush and coplanar with the outermost face 25 of the cutter bar I so that either cutting edge'5 or-'6' of the "knife 3 may 'ha vea smooth surface on which to slide in-the cutting: operation,

As shown in Fig. 3, the pivot 4 of the knife blade 3 passes through the slot 2 formed between the flanges l4 and I5 of channel members it and H preferably from the inside face thereof so that the head 27 of pivot 4 may bear against the edges of flanges l4 and I5. Flanges l4 and provide a firm and rigid bearing for the pivot Pivot 4 is threaded into the knife blade as shown. The initial tightness with which the knife blade is held against the cutter bar 7 may be adjusted by means of the pivot 4, that is, the pivot may be drawn up more or less tightly into the knife blade as required.

In order that the device I may be mounted, for example, at the end of a roof, as shown in Fig. 2, wings l9 and 2B are each provided with notches 30 and 3i in their opposite edges. When the device is to be mounted in the location shown in Fig. 2, it will be observed that the knife blade is operable with the right hand of the operator.

'io hold the cutting device in the position shown in Fig. 2, roofing nails may be driven into the roof at a location where the shanks of the nails can be received in notches 3i of wings I9 and Eli. When mounted as shown in Fig. 2, it will be observed that the edges of many courses of shingles may be trimmed without changing the position of the cutter frame on the roof. When the shingles have been laid up to a point at the uppermost end of the knife frame, the knife frame is moved upwardly on the roof to a new location so that the shingles may be trimmed as they are laid.

When the cutting device is used on the opposite end of the roof, the frame is turned end for end, in which case, the supporting roofing nails are received in notches 30, and the cutting blade is operated by the left hand of the operator.

As shown in Fig. 3, the knife frame abuts the trim molding 32 at the end of the roof. Since the vertical leg 22 of the frame abuts the molding as shown, it will be apparent that the overhang 33 of the trimmed courses of the shingles will be uniform in length. Therefore, the edge of the courses of shingles at the ends of a roof will be straight and neat in appearance.

In order to insure that the knife blade 3 will not be swung so far in its cutting stroke as to injure the hand of the operator by squeezing it between the handle and the edge 8 of the cutter bar 'I, a stop 36 is provided. This stop may be in the form of a screw which is used to secure the handle to the blade 3. The screw is of such length as shown, that its projecting end extends inwardly from the inside face of blade 3 so that it will strike the top edge of the cutter bar 7 when the knife blade has reached the end of its intended cutting stroke.

It will also be observed that as pivot 4 is slidably mounted in the slot 2, that the knife 3 may be used effectively to cut or trim a shingle or other material at any point along the length of the cutter bar I.

The device shown in the drawings may also be used to trim the shingles at the hip of a roof or in valleys by mounting the device in a position where the desired result may be obtained.

Such use of the device will be apparent to those skilled in the art of laying roofing shingles.

Having thus described what now appears to be a preferred form of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes may be made in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from either the spirit or the scope of the invention.

Therefore, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A shear mechanism for cutting shingles and the like along a trim line comprising an elongated frame having a stationary cutter bar and flat support members extending laterally from and inwardly of said cutter bar for attaching the frame to a roof or the like with the cutting edge of the cutter bar aligned with the trim line, said frame having a longitudinal slot therein, and a knife blade provided with cutting edges at opposite sides thereof whereby the cutting mechanism may be used interchangeably either as a right or left hand cutter by turning the i frame end for end, said blade having a pivot slidably disposed in said slot, whereby the knife blade and pivot may be shifted along the slot and the knife blade rendered operative to cut shingles along substantially the full length of said stationary cutter bar.

2. A shear mechanism for cutting shingles and the like along a trim line, comprising an elongated frame that includes a pair of members secured together at their opposite ends in spaced relation to form a pivot slot, a stationary cutter bar mounted on and secured to one of said pairs of members, an angle bar disposed with one flange joined to the member on which the cutter bar is mounted and the other flange extending rearwardly from said first mentioned flange to serve as a bearing for the device when mounted in operative position, wing members at each end of said rearwardly extending bearing flange for removably securing the device to a roof or the like, and a knife blade having a pivot slidably disposed in said slot, whereby the knife blade and pivot may be shifted along the slot and the knife blade rendered operative to cut shingles along substantially the full length of said stationary cutter bar.

3. A mechanism according to claim 2 characterized by the fact that the frame includes a pair of members secured together at their opposite ends in spaced relation to form the pivot slot, and that the cutter bar is mounted on one of said pairs of members, that the adjacent edges of said members are provided with flanges projecting inwardly from the cutting face of the frame to thereby stiffen the frame and provide a relatively wide bearing for said pivot, and that an angle bar is disposed with one flange joined to the member on which the cutter bar is mounted, and the other flange extends rearwardly from said first mentioned flange to serve as a bearing for the device when mounted in operative position, and that the wing members are disposed at each end of said rearwardly extending bearing flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Patton Aug. 7, 

